From the House Race Hotline for Tuesday, May 6,2008

MISSISSIPPI 01 (R/TUPELO -- WICKER)

Did We Miss Cheney's Events For Oberweis Or Jenkins?

Tue. May 6, 2008


VP Cheney will be in DeSoto Co. 5/12 "to bolster" Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) on the eve of the special election. Davis: "This speaks of the importance of this race and the voters of DeSoto County. We are very excited Vice President Cheney will be here to rally the voters for this upcoming election" (Jones, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 5/5). Davis mgr Ted Prill: "I think it shows a clear contrast. Greg is happy to stand on stage and have the support of the leaders of his party. [Prentis Co. Chancery Clerk] Travis Childers [D] cannot run far enough away from Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi [D]" (Brumfield, Tupelo Daily Journal, 5/6).

LA-06 Was The Appetizer

Since 5/2, the nat'l parties have spent $530K on the race, which last week "had seen more than" $3M spent by them and the candidates since the race began earlier this year (Tupelo Daily Journal, 5/6).

Let Me Educate You

Tupelo Daily Journal's Harrison writes, "I have been covering" the MS Legislature since '95, and in the '97 session, it passed the MS Adequate Education program, which was "deemed historic." It provided funds to school districts based on enrollment. And the districts got funding "per pupil based on the wealth of the district. The poorer the district, the more money the state provided."

But Davis "was one of about" 55 members of the 174-member Legislature to vote against the program, which is "now hailed by the mainstream of both parties as important legislation." And it's "been critical to the success of the school system" in Davis' "fast growing" home county of DeSoto. Davis "originally voted for" the bill, but after Gov. Kirk Fordice (R) vetoed it, Davis "was one of a few members to change their votes and oppose it" (5/6).

Special General: 5/13

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